Terence Murphy earns DBS's Distinguished Teaching Award

Terence Murphy, professor of plant biology, has been selected to receive the Division of Biological Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award.

Colleagues and students who nominated Murphy for the award described him as a devoted, innovative teacher throughout his 33 years at UC Davis. According to colleagues, Murphy pioneered the use of slide and tape shows to supplement a class, to use computers for instructional purposes and to post course materials on the Web.

To see if such steps actually helped, he surveyed students and compared their use of Web notes to their grades.

In 2001, he worked with Victoria Cross of the Teaching Resources Center to publish a paper, "Should Students Get the Instructor's Lecture Notes," in the Journal of Biological Education. He has taught a variety of undergraduate courses in biological sciences, hosted more than 80 student researchers in his lab, and mentored four graduate students in the College Teaching Program. In 1999, he received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research.

Murphy also spent four years as master adviser for the biological sciences major and is an adviser for the plant biology major. He designed new labs for introductory biology courses, developed "active learning" computer models, co-authored one of the first texts on plant molecular biology and is co-author of a plant biology text.

He is the third recipient of the award, first given in fall 2001. A ceremony honoring Murphy is set for spring.

Library hosts event to discuss e-journals

Daniel Greenstein, director of the California Digital Library, will talk at Shields Library Nov. 18 on the issue of access to electronic research journals in an era of decreased budgets and increasing prices charged by journal publishers.

The university "is challenged not only by the evolving methods used to store information but by the increasingly high cost to obtain it," said UC Davis Librarian Marilyn Sharrow.

The CDL is currently negotiating contracts with a number of publishers on behalf of UC's 10 campuses. Greenstein plans to update attendees about ongoing negotiations and to talk about some of the eScholarship initiatives currently being developed by the CDL.

The talk will start at 2 p.m. in the Nelle Branch Room on the library's second floor.

An RSVP is requested by Nov. 13 to daojakangas@ucdavis.edu.

Inventions wanted

The California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency has selected UC Davis as the model for developing a streamlined process for technology transfer between UC campus research and industry.

In the first phase of the project, the Office of Research will identify UC Davis research projects with the potential to become commercial products.

Faculty interested in participating in the project should contact Sajeel Malani or Susan Tiffany in the Office of Research sgmalani@ucdavis.edu, sjtiffany@ucdavis.edu. The project is supported by a short-term grant from the CTTCA.

Wellness faire returns

The Employee Benefits Office and Staff Assembly will sponsor the Benefits & Wellness Faire for campus employees 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 17 in Freeborn Hall.

The annual event allows employees the opportunity to meet with group insurance carriers during the benefits open enrollment period (Nov. 1-30), and to visit a myriad of health service information tables.

This year's event will feature the new Legal Plan carrier, ARAG. Representatives from ARAG will also be providing two informational seminars, at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., in the MU's Mee Room.

The fair also allows employees to participate in a variety of wellness activities. Flu shots will be offered for $12. In addition, free bone density testing, cholesterol testing, body fat testing, and a number of other health maintenance tests will be offered by medical plan carriers.

For more details, call (530) 752-1774.